Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Talking Points #1

A Tsunami in History

Rowe-Finkbeiner

Reflection:

I find it quite amazing how even though women were legallyallowed to vote in 1920, men still found ways to exclude as much women as
possible, especially those that they truly believed did not deserve it. “Some
areas used Jim Crow requirements, like poll taxes and literacy tests,
specifically intended to keep poor African Americans from the voting booth.” Although these requirements did not only affect women, but also men who could not read, write, nor pay for the poll tax, they affected mostly the women because their husbands were more likely to have an education and had control over the money they worked for. Within the generation of the first wave of feminism, racism was still a big
problem that I find was the reason for the separation between women of color and
white women that were fighting for the same change towards gender equality, like the right to vote as men had. Rather
than fighting together as a team, they fought alongside one another. In A Tsunami in History, Rowe-Finkbeiner,
states that, “women still face social and economic inequalities each day; the
glass ceiling has only cracked, not broken… (32).” I believe that if the women
of color and white women fought together as a team, “the glass ceiling”, would
have been much closer to breaking because they would have shown a togetherness
that women hold, that no matter their social hierarchy, they did not fear to
stand together as women and that would have been such a powerful message that
they could have modeled to the men of their society. In the text, I read about
that although white upper class and middle class women stood for only the
changes that concerned them, and not of the issues concerning women of color
and lower-income women, they both faces different struggles that were not
recognized by many. We are much stronger when we stand together and I feel that
a lot of women do not understand that because instead of just seeing that they
were all fighting for the same cause, they saw each other through “race, class,
nationality, sexual orientation (32).” Today in a lot of cases that is still
the issue. In middle schools, high schools, or even colleges for example,
students create social clicks in regards to their appearance, class rank, race,
sexual orientation, interests, etc. I find it important that we all believe in
different things, that we all have different cultures, different backgrounds, different
interests, and that we were even born in different generations, etc. because
like they say, “an eye for an eye, would make the whole world blind.” And without that we would of not known what
feminism is. I agree, with the statement made in that text that read, “feminism
is the F-word for many young women.” In high school when I first heard of what
feminism was in the eyes of many of my class mates, I was never into it. A lot of
my classmates that considered themselves feminists, held such hate towards men
and that made me run away from anything I heard that had to do with feminism. But
here I am today in a gender studies class in college in order to really understand
what it means to be a feminist.

Fear of Feminism
HogelandExtended Comments:It is a given
that without the fight of the women from previous generations, we would not
have much rights as women. I agree with Sue-Ellen’s point that, “we simply
enjoy the rights and don't think [of] where they came from or even how they
were obtained”. I think its because we were already born into having rights and
so that makes us feel like they should just be handed to us. We did not have to
struggle toward, for example, the right to vote, as women who had no say in the
government whatsoever, or to even witness how much the women of previous
generations fought for our rights. We get to watch some of their struggles
through films and such but even that does not show how much work, courage, and
dignity it took to fight against all the men and even some women at that, who
did not believe in the movements of the women’s suffrage.

Sue-Ellen also
goes on to explain that, “our youth is corrupt because of the fear to stand for
feminism and the rights of women today”, yet I wonder where that fear has come
from. Does it come from all the violence we have witnessed in the films of the
women who fought and are still fighting for our rights today? Or is it that as
women, we fear away from speaking our minds in order to not be ridiculed by
society. I know that it scares me sometimes to go against what the government
has set as regulations because they have so much authority, and sometimes they
will act violently when large groups of people complain about what is being
protested against, which can lead to matters getting out of hand. I do know
some simple steps to begin with, like taking a stand, to then making valid
points in order to persuade the crowds of society that what you are fighting
for is for the better, no matter how long it takes. I have witnessed peers my age
taking a stand and then getting discouraged to keep fighting for what they
believe because others do not automatically agree. But that is not the attitude
that gave us the right to vote as women today. The women were strong, powerful
women, who did not even let police brutality get in their way when they were
thrown in jails. Instead Alice Paul, for example, went on a hunger strike after
being thrown in jail, and 30 other prisoners followed her lead, until they were
all finally released. If anything, we need to learn to be just as strong, if
not more. We need passion and determination in order to fight for what we believe.

Moreover, In the text, I also stumbled over a quote stating, “our culture allows women so little scope for development,
for exploration, for testing the boundaries of what they can do and who they
can be…” I do not agree with this quote because in the media, in our social
lives, and at home etc., we are brought up to think certain ways about
ourselves, but it is up to us to either accept that or disagree. There are many
programs for example, that allow us as citizens to receive scholarship money. I
use that as an example because before, women were not allowed an education,
especially if you were a woman of color, and today we have the government helping
us pay to get an education. Today, we are allowed an education just as men are,
and it is up to us to run with it if we want it. If you want to become a
doctor, an engineer, a police officer, get into communications, or even own
your own business we are allowed to. We cannot let statistics stop us from
pursuing careers that men are most likely to fulfill.

2 comments:

I am glad you understood my point that I was trying to make in regards to the reading. I agree with you on the comment that you made stating the author's point of view was invalid when she said, "our culture allows women so little scope for development...". Knowing there are all types of funding for women of different races, and that are involved in so many things for them to educate themselves. The problem is that so many women are unaware of the funding to educate themselves that is available. When you said, "..., or even own your own business we are allowed to." that is so true. There are government funding available to women that want to open certain business that are dominated by males. Those business if in contract with the government for what ever reason is the first to be called in a male dominated work environment. I enjoyed your extended point of view. See you in class.

I like what you both forth with the glass cracking, saying that women, regardless of color, should join as one and defeat the movement as a whole. Also the education part the Sue ellen and yourself agree upon is interesting to me. I mean I would have tended to agree with the author, but know what you and Sue have put forth I have a better understanding now. SO thank you